Chianti Classico is an officially sanctioned appellation. Super Tuscan is not. Nice story, yes, but not a guide to quality. Frankly, they both translate into pure pleasure.

Italy: Super Tuscans and Chianti

The term “super Tuscan” as well as the wines it describes originated in Italy but like many émigrés they found their natural home in New York. In a city of power brokers and achievers, of elites and privilege, what could be more appealing than the revved up image and high price tag that the term conveys? Over the years it has become synonymous with ripe, opulent, full-bodied and very expensive wines, mostly based on cabernet sauvignon. Super Tuscan is often used now as a catchall term for any prestigious red wine from Tuscany, but that is incorrect, at least on a technical level. Super Tuscan should be reserved for red wines made in Tuscany that fall outside of traditional blending laws.

Thus, Chianti Classico, an officially sanctioned appellation subject to rules on what it may contain, is not a super Tuscan. Chianti Classico is produced using sangiovese grapes, either exclusively or blended with smaller quantities of other designated red grapes. The production code requires at least 80 per cent sangiovese, and blends usually contain some canaiolo and colorino, native red grapes, or international types such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot. (White grapes were occasionally used in the blend but are being phased out.)

In 1970, Piero Antinori, one of Tuscany’s most important winemakers, wanted to break out of the tradition and produce a red with a riper, more voluptuous style. Since the resulting wine did not conform to regulations guiding grape types he could not use the official Chianti Classico name and called it Tignanello after the vineyard location.

Twenty-five years later, Tignanello, which has a strong component of cabernet sauvignon, is still considered a first-rate Italian red and can properly be called a super Tuscan. Antinori remains one of the most important producers of this style of wine. In an odd twist some estates use their best grapes for the officially unclassified super Tuscan instead of the prestigious wine designations of the government’s Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) although this trend may be reversing.

There are no real guidelines or benchmarks for super Tuscans since the producer is not bound by codes. But the trend has been toward cabernet sauvignon alone or blended, so we can often look for the characteristics of that grape. Even here however the assortment is immense ranging from full-fruited powerhouses to wines of great finesse and complexity.

The commonalities I find in super Tuscans are capaciousness, juiciness and vibrancy. Since they generally retail for upwards of $40 and frequently go into the hundreds, they cost too much to experiment with. You might select a few and ask your wine merchant what their characteristics and differences are, and then fine tune with your own tastes in mind. If he does not have a good answer, don’t buy there.

Chianti Classico is more predictable. Look for a bright, ruby red color that darkens a bit as the wine matures. The scent can remind you of grapes, wild berries, and tobacco in various quantities—but always contains a suggestion of violets. The taste should be velvety, smooth and soft, and only lightly tannic. It is a terrific combination and a superb wine when the balance is correct.

A consortium of producers in Chianti uses the black rooster symbol on its bottles so most though not all Classicos will display this trademark. The black rooster profile has symbolized the Chianti district for more than 700 years. A charming if unbelievable legend relates that in medieval times Florence and Siena, in order to define their disputed boundary, decided to send a rider on a horse from each city at the first cock’s crow in the morning and to draw the frontier where they met. The Sienese rooster was white, plump and pampered, while the Florentine one was black, scrawny and undernourished—and so began to crow with hunger before dawn while the Sienese rooster was presumably still slumbering near the henhouse, giving the Florentine rider an earlier start and a big advantage.

Don’t worry too much about labels and designations and Florentine barnyard antics. Tuscan wines are there to be enjoyed. Whether a simple “vino da tavola” for $10 or a $200 Le Macchiole Scrio, they translate into pure pleasure.